SALT LAKE CITY – Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson is uncomfortable with the idea of dismissing the state mask application in about a month.
Speaking with Dave and Dujanovic of KSL NewsRadio on Monday morning, Mayor Wilson explained that her concern is with teenagers, children and others who have not yet been vaccinated.
“If we were for the elderly now or an area that had mainly people over 70, we would have that collective immunity in that single environment,” she said. “It is a very different story for the rest of us. It is certainly not April 10th, in my opinion.”
The comments come after a bill passed on the last day of the state legislature that sets the state mask’s mandate to expire on April 10.
In addition, it allows other restrictions to be loosened once several vaccines, case rates and ICU metrics are met.
Making room for ‘better judgment’
Wilson argues that April 10 is too early to remove the mandate. In his view, the state should expect COVID-19 case rates to drop further before removing the mandate from the mask.
“What we need to do is see these cases go down,” she said. “There will be the right time when we can remove the masks.”
In his opinion, instead of rushing to remove the masks in public, the next few months should be about trusting the Utahns to make smart judgments.
“With our own personal interactions, with our friends and family, we can be smart,” said Wilson. “We can see who was vaccinated (and) who was not. If we need to protect someone, (we can) stay a little far.”
It was announced on Thursday by Governor Spencer Cox that six counties in Utah, including Salt Lake County, were moving into the “moderate” transmission phase of the virus. Municipalities at this stage have no restrictions on collection, as long as individuals are wearing masks.